


Where Dreams Come True

by Nakeycatstakebaths



Category: The 100 (TV), The 100 Series - Kass Morgan
Genre: Also Memori are perfect soulmates in this, Alternate Universe - Childhood Friends, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Bellamy is the President's Son, Childhood Friends, Clarke is a the Princess of England, Crush at First Sight, Disney, Disney World & Disneyland, Emori is literally an angel, F/M, First Crush, Fluff, Grow in love, Idiots in Love, Lots of cute Disney nostalgia, Mild finn being an asshole, Starts as a childhood fic and moves into adulthood, Tooth Rotting Fluff, nothing happens until they're adults
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-23
Updated: 2020-08-23
Packaged: 2021-03-06 17:27:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,114
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26072668
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nakeycatstakebaths/pseuds/Nakeycatstakebaths
Summary: The only thing Clarke Griffin, Princess of England ever wanted was to be normal. She longed to go to Disney World and wear cutoff shorts and have a giant group of friends to share her life with. But of course, the prospect of that was woefully out of reach.Until—a global leader’s summit finally gives her the chance she’s been waiting for.Every four years, she gets to go to Disney World, and for a few, blissful days, she gets exactly what she’s always wanted. With her two best friends and the company of The First Kids of The United States, Clarke finds the normalcy she’s longed for—and a crush she didn’t exactly plan on.
Relationships: Bellamy Blake/Clarke Griffin, Minor Monty Green/Harper Mcintyre - Relationship, Minor Murphy/Emori
Comments: 45
Kudos: 170





	Where Dreams Come True

**Author's Note:**

> This is the fluffiest, dumbest cutest thing I've ever written. I had a ton of fun writing this haha
> 
> I hope y'all enjoy :) 
> 
> BIG thanks to @angstyblueskies for all their help and bouncing Disney and plot ideas with me!! :) always nice to have someone to throw ideas with!!

__

_2009_

When Clarke was seven years old, she went to America for the first time. 

It was supposed to be the most exciting trip of her life, she was going to go to Disneyland and eat cheese fries and meet Mickey Mouse. 

It was going to be perfect. She had every minute of it planned. 

Until—her mom got called into a meeting for the entire day, and she didn’t get to go. 

Instead of riding the spinning teacups and eating ice cream sandwiches, she spent the day with her bodyguard playing ping pong in the hotel lobby. 

“Being a queen is a matter of sacrifice,” her mother had said, rubbing her back soothingly as she explained that their trip had gotten derailed. 

And at that moment, Clarke decided she hated being a princess. 

She wanted to be normal, wanted to play in the park, and not have to sit outside of boring meetings and take tea lessons. 

But of course, this was the life she was born into. It was her duty to lead with elegance and grace. 

Sometimes it felt like she was the only person on earth that had to do things like this, who didn’t get to play outside or have friends her own age. 

It was lonely, not having any siblings or kids to talk to. But she got by, her dad played pretend with her when he had the time, and she read lots of books and drew pictures of the flowers outside the windows. 

But, when she turned 9, Miller and Harper came to live with them. She finally had friends, people to play with, and talk to. They were normal, children of palace employees, they had cars, and they had sandwiches from Wegman’s for lunch. 

Clarke wanted to be just like them. 

They never treated her like she was a princess, Miller shot her with squirt guns and Harper taught her how to weave bracelets out of rubber bands. 

After years of being angry and lonely, she finally had the friends she always wanted. 

So it seemed simple, for her 13th birthday, she wanted to go to Disney World, and she wanted to bring Harper and Miller with her. 

***

  
“Sit still,” her etiquette teacher instructed, tapping Clarke in between the shoulders with her palm. 

“I can’t...I’m too excited,” she said, still bouncing in her seat. 

Today’s the day. She was going to Disney World. Her suitcase was all packed, Harper and Miller were sleeping over. It was everything she always wanted. 

And the best part—her mom was going to a global leaders event at the parks. The whole park was closed just for them. 

Nothing could stand between her and splash mountain now. 

“Excited or not, you need to finish this lesson and practice piano.” 

Clarke sat on her hands, willing her body to stay still. The faster she got through this, the sooner she could go to bed and leave for her trip. It was like her mom said, being a queen was about sacrifice, and this was a small price to pay for a week of soft pretzels and fun with her best friends. 

“If I need to yawn in front of a dignitary, I will clench my jaw,” she repeated, eyes fixed on the door, the glare of her teacher heavy on the back of her neck. 

***

  
In a bed wide enough to fit a classroom of children, tucked underneath luxurious, soft sheets, Clarke, Harper, and Miller all laid side by side, heads pressed together. 

“I’ve never been on a plane before,” Miller whispered, toying with the edge of the blanket. “Will it be scary?” 

“No! It’s fun. They give you a Sprite in a little cup, and you get to pick out a snack from a big basket,” Clarke explained, reaching out to hold Miller’s hand. 

In all her excitement, she’d forgotten that her friends had never left the borders of England. Stretching as far as she could, Clarke wrapped them in a tight hug, her shoulder straining from the reach. 

“It’s going to be magical,” Harper said, voice soft, her thumb tracing their joint hands. 

Clarke didn’t quite have the words to express how she was feeling right now. Nervous, grateful, and a little wary of any disappointment coming their way. Nothing she’d ever wanted panned out the way she expected, but for once, she was hopeful. 

“I love you,” she whispered, knowing it wasn’t quite enough for what she was trying to say, but it was the closest she could get. 

Harper squeezed her a little tighter, and Miller smiled at her in the dark. 

This was going to be the best week of her entire life. 

***

  
Bellamy adjusted the ears on his head, he was a little too old for all this. Admittedly he looked totally ridiculous in his ears and an American flag T-shirt. 

“Stop messing with them, it looks fine,” Octavia whispered, stepping on his foot so he would stop moving. 

Unlike Bellamy, Octavia was practically falling over with excitement. She hadn’t been to Disney World since they were little kids, and it was apparent she was about to sprint away the second the cameras stopped flashing. 

As much as he was embarrassed, seeing her so excited was nice. He knew this was a big deal, that life hadn’t always been like this for them, and it wasn’t that he isn’t grateful because he is. 

But after a while, public appearances and family photos and socializing with a bunch of stuck up kids he didn’t like got really old. 

And Kane was thinking about running for President after this was all over...so that was potentially 4, if not 8 more years of this nonsense. 

“Vice President Kane, can we get a picture of the whole family?” A photographer called, tilting his head toward Bellamy and Octavia. 

And because it would be improper not to, they all gathered together, Mickey Mouse ears clicking against one another as the photographer instructed them on fun casual poses. 

This was going to be a long week. 

“You were a good sport out there,” Kane grinned, swinging an arm around Bellamy’s shoulder as they walked to their rooms. “I know you feel like a fifteen-year-old shouldn’t have to wear Mickey Mouse ears. But I appreciate that you did it anyway.” 

Kane wasn’t Bellamy’s dad. But he was the closest thing he had to one. And there were times where he was so annoying it was genuinely unbelievable. But he also understood Bellamy better than most people. 

When he had married Bellamy’s mom, nobody expected him to become a senator, let alone the Vice President of the United States. 

But even with all the changes, Marcus always made being a dad his priority. 

“I can’t exactly complain about a free trip to Disney World,” Bellamy shrugged, taking off the ears and shoving them in his back pocket. 

The rooms in the Grand Floridian were massive, decorated in tasteful pastels with sweeping double doors that overlooked the water. 

“It’s pretty nice, isn’t it?” Marcus agreed, flopping back onto one of the double beds. 

“This is the best vacation ever!!” Octavia agreed, jumping up and down on the bed. “When do we get to go to the parks?! I want to take a picture with Cinderella!” 

Bellamy groaned, running his hands through his hair. He knew what this meant. The next five days would be spent chaperoning Octavia while she ran around with other officials' kids and ate sugar till her stomach hurt. He didn’t mind—but sometimes he wished he had someone to hang out with too. 

He knew he was an awkward age—too young to go to the bars with the older kids and too old to enjoy running around with a bunch of twelve-year-olds. But it still sucked sometimes, especially since Octavia had a fan club so large they couldn’t fit on the sidewalk together. 

But he was happy for her, and he didn’t really mind eating ice cream sandwiches and playing on his Nintendo while they waited for the rides. Maybe he would be able to convince Marcus to let him go by himself one night and ride some of the more exciting rides by himself. 

“What do you want to ride first, O!?” He asked, pulling one of her legs out from under her, so she collapsed onto the mattress. 

“I...uhh...hmm, I think I want to ride the space mountain first!! It’s the one that makes your cheeks go like this,” she said excitedly, pulling her face back until all her teeth were exposed. 

Bellamy and Kane laughed, pulling their cheeks back too until they were all rolling around on the carpet, clutching their sides. 

***

“We decided on no bodyguards because everything is closed up, and everyone here has been pre-screened by the U.S. government,” Abby began, tying Clarke’s hair into a neat braid that wrapped around her head. “Can I trust you to make good choices?” 

Clarke nodded vigorously, bouncing up and down on her heels. 

The parks were so close she could almost taste the Mickey Mouse ice cream sandwich. This conversation was the last thing standing between her and her life’s biggest adventure. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Miller and Harper already wearing their ears and waiting anxiously by the door. 

“I promise, no indecent behavior, no running, no cartwheels, no getting chocolate on my face and no Facebook pictures,” she rambled, listing off all things she’d been warned not to do every single time she left the palace. 

“Good girl,” her mom smiled, pressing a kiss to the tip of Clarke’s nose. “Have fun, be safe, I love you. Please don’t get in any trouble--” 

Before Abby could even finish, Clarke was already racing toward the door. With a final wave, she linked her arms with Miller and Harper and ran into the hallway. 

“We’re free!!!” she yelled, dragging her friends through the hall. 

This was it, the moment she’d been waiting for since she was seven. It was everything she could’ve imagined and more. 

“Alright, everyone!” a blonde woman with a wide smile called, holding a red flag as she collected all the kids in the lobby. “Follow me for the magic kingdom bus!” 

Still thrumming with excitement, Clarke, Harper, and Miller followed the woman toward a red bus waiting outside. 

“Oh my god, Monty. Where did you get that lizard from?!?” a voice whispered loudly from the back, breaking out of their excited whispers long enough to see what was going on. 

Behind them, two dark-haired boys were gently cupping a lizard while a younger girl pet it with her index finger. A very distressed older boy was trying desperately to make them put it away, but it wasn’t really working. 

“Woah,” Harper exclaimed, sliding out Clarke and Miller’s grasp so she could examine the lizard more closely. “What’s his name?” 

“I ‘dun know! We found him in the bush...but I think he’s lost,” the shorter of the two boys explained, holding it out so Harper could pet him too. 

“I’m Monty, this is Jasper and Octavia—and that’s Octavia’s brother Bellamy. But he’s really boring, and he doesn’t like lizards,” Monty continued, smiling nervously at Harper. 

“Can you please put the lizard down so we can get on the bus,” Bellamy asked impatiently, eyes flicking between their little group and the waiting bus. 

He was tall, with narrow shoulders and a head of curly brown hair. He was undoubtedly older than them, he looked like he was in high school, like he knew about the kind of things grown-ups talked about. 

Clarke couldn’t stop staring at him. 

His eyes were bright, and freckles dotted every inch on his nose and cheeks. There was something about him that made Clarke’s heart beat fast—something that made her want to hide behind her hands. 

Bellamy was the prettiest boy she’d ever seen. 

She could barely focus on the excitement around them, and she didn’t really care about the lizard. She wanted him to talk to her, for him to notice her. His hair looked so soft, she wanted to run her fingers through one of his curls. 

Suddenly, she was self-conscious of her Peter Pan collar and fancy braid. It made her stick out beside all the others in their cut off shorts and baseball caps. She stuck out, and even though she didn’t know why, she wanted these people to like her. 

“Clarke...Clarke?” Miller called, nudging her with his elbow. “Are you okay? We’re about to leave!” 

“Yeah—my braid is just hurting my head a little,” she explained, pulling out the elastic and letting her hair fall around her shoulders. 

Miller gave her a weird look, but he didn’t press further, instead following the rest of their group to the bus. 

To Clarke’s dismay, Bellamy didn’t sit with them, leaving them to gather in the back while he sat beside a boy his age and a pretty girl with olive skin and curly dark hair. 

“Don’t worry too much about my brother. He’s grumpy, but he secretly loves this kind of stuff,” Octavia explained, sliding into the seat beside her. “Have you ever been to Disney before?” 

Octavia and Clarke became fast friends, and before long, she’d forgotten all about Bellamy and his pretty face. Much like Clarke, Harper, and Miller, Octavia and her friends had known each other for years. 

Monty and Jasper were the President’s sons and Octavia’s best friends in the world. 

It was nice to meet kids who understood what it was like to not be normal, who didn’t make her feel like a weirdo even if her outfit was fancier than everyone else’s. 

“So you’re a real-life princess?!?” Jasper exclaimed, eyebrows shooting up to his hairline. “That’s so cool! They should make a movie about you…” 

Clarke blushed, tucking a newly loose curl behind her ear. She’d be lying if she said she hadn’t dreamed about that before. But she wasn’t the kind of princess that got to sing songs in fields and fall in love with a handsome prince. She had to sit still and not get chocolate on her face, it wasn’t nearly as exciting. 

“A movie about me would be really boring,” she giggled, explaining her daily routine of tea lessons and reading and etiquette. “If they were going to make a movie about anyone...it would be Miller. He learns archery and knows how to ride horses.” 

And just like that—all the attention turned to Miller. 

Clarke preferred it this way, she didn’t really like talking about being a princess. Now she and Octavia could stare out the window and watch as Cinderella’s castle drew closer and closer. 

***

With one arm wrapped around each of her best friends’ shoulders and their new friends following closely behind, Clarke walked into Disney World for the first time. 

It was just as magical as she imagined. Even the air smelled magical here. There were balloons, and ice cream cones, and confetti, and the castle was even bigger than she’d dreamed of. 

“This is the best day ever!” She screamed, jumping up and down excitedly as the blonde-haired woman from before handed out balloons to each of them. 

“First timer?” Bellamy asked, reaching out to help her tie the balloon around her wrist before it flew away. 

Her heart stuttered, every word she’d ever learned in both English and French suddenly vanished from her brain. He smelled like pine trees, and his hands were warm against her skin, and all Clarke could do was think “Bellamy, Bellamy, Bellamy” over and over again. He was even prettier up close, his smile gentle and warm. 

Clarke didn’t know what to do. She’d never felt like this before, never been nervous like this around a person. 

“I—uh—-yes,” she stammered, still not quite about to get her brain to do what she wanted. “Thank you!” 

Ugh, now she was embarrassed. He probably thought she was a weirdo, or that she was stupid. Either way, that wasn’t how she wanted him to see her. 

“Anytime princess,” he grinned, winking at her over his shoulder before he rejoined the rest of the group. 

Normally, Clarke hated being called that, but hearing it from Bellamy made something in her stomach feel warm. 

But she didn’t really have time to worry about Bellamy right now. 

She’s been waiting for today for what felt like her entire life—and whatever was going on could wait for another day. 

***

  
Clarke spun in the teacups still her stomach hurt, ate every Mickey-shaped food she could’ve dreamed of, and rode every ride at least three times. 

On their last round, she sat in the front at Splash Mountain and soaked her outfit beyond recognition. It was the perfect excuse to buy a pair of jean shorts and a tank top from the gift shop. 

Running through the streets of downtown Disney was the freest she’d ever felt. Her hair was wild, her cheeks red from the sun, and her new casual outfit allowed her more freedom than she’d ever had before. 

“Be careful, you’re gonna burn to a crisp,” Bellamy chuckled, taking off his Disney ball cap and fitting it over her curls. 

There it was again—that stinging warmth at the bottom of her stomach, the heat of self-consciousness burning at the back of her neck. 

Bellamy gave her something of his, and it smelled like him, and he was walking next to her, and Clarke thought she might explode. Just when she thought this day couldn’t get any better, it did. 

“Do you think we could ride the Haunted Mansion one more time before we leave?” She asked, hoping that he would agree. 

He looked from her to the group, all of whom were discussing whether they should try one more round on Splash Mountain. 

At some point, Murphy joined them, and he seemed more than capable of keeping an eye on the others if they dipped off. 

“Does anyone want to ride the Haunted Mansion?” Bellamy asked, waving his hand to get everyone else’s attention. 

Octavia nodded her head no as the rest of the group mumbled that they would rather do Splash Mountain. 

“Looks like it’s just the two of us,” he shrugged, leading the way toward the ride. 

The line was empty, most people had already headed back for whatever stuffy dinner event they were supposed to go to tonight. 

“C’mon, don’t be lame,” Clarke called, running through the line, beckoning for Bellamy to follow. 

It took a beat, but soon he was running with her, his fingertips reaching out to catch her bicep just as they jogged up to the ride entry. 

They laughed together, catching their breath as the bored attendant loaded up the row of cars. 

“Let’s sit up front,” he suggested, leading her to the first car. 

It was a closer fit than she realized, their sides pressed together tightly. Like this, she could smell his cologne, feel the heat of his body against hers. 

And there it was again, that confusing drop in her stomach—the one that made her feel nervous all over again. 

But Bellamy didn’t seem to notice, his arm slung loosely over the back of the small cart. 

Every once in a while, he would bend down or whisper something funny to her, a joke about something on the ride. And every time he did, her chest tightened. It made her feel important and grown-up, and like she never wanted this ride to end. 

***

  
Murphy leaned over the railing, taking a swing from the single bottle of beer they were sharing between the two of them. 

“You know the princess has a huge crush on you, right?” He asked, passing the bottle to Bellamy. 

Bellamy sputtered, choking on his sip of warm beer. 

“You’re fucking insane, no, she doesn’t. She’s a freaking kid.” 

“I don’t know about you, but I definitely had crushes on girls at 13…” 

Bellamy groaned, scrubbing a hand over his face. Shit, he hadn’t noticed at all. If anything, he’d probably given her the wrong impression with how friendly he was being. Hell, he’d given her his hat. 

She was so young—barely older than O, and even though she was technically two years younger than him, it felt like a lot more than that. 

Objectively, she was beautiful in a regal kind of way. Delicate features that showed every emotion clearly on her face. But there was still something childlike about them, something that he would feel icky thinking about romantically. 

“I had no idea…” he sighed, offering Murphy the last sip of their illicit beer. 

“You’re totally clueless if you overlooked that. Clarke practically glows in your presence.” 

Bellamy shoved Murphy lightly, still a little uncomfortable about the whole thing, but he knew there was nothing he could do about it. He just needed to be careful with her, make sure he didn’t put himself in a position where the Royal guard was hauling his ass to jail. 

“We could let them fend for themselves tomorrow. Ride some of the bigger stuff? Hollywood studios has some cool shit?” Murphy offered, knowing that space was probably the best thing for the situation. 

It was nice to have friends his own age, Murphy and his girlfriend Emori were cool—they were the kind of people Bellamy would’ve liked to be friends with if his life didn’t revolve around White House press junkets and Today Show segments about “Vice President Single Dad.” 

This was the first vacation in a long time where he was really enjoying himself, where he wasn’t counting down the minutes till he could go home. 

“Half of them are teenagers, I’m sure it wouldn’t be a problem for them to go out on their own,” he agreed, bumping his fist against his new friend’s. 

***

The next day, Bellamy was notably missing as they ate giant stacks of Mickey Waffles and chatted about what rides they wanted to do at Epcot. 

The feeling at the bottom of Clarke's stomach had turned sour, no longer a fuzzy warmth like before. 

She knew what this was now. 

She had a crush on Bellamy. Not a crush like those boys who teased her at school or the princes who came to visit her and gave wet kisses on the back of her hand. 

A real crush. 

Her very first real crush. 

She wanted him to hold her hand and laugh with her and ride the rides together. But clearly, he didn’t feel the same way. 

“Bellamy said that the test track is the best ride!” Octavia said around a mouthful of waffles. “But I think he’s lying because he and Murphy are at Hollywood studios instead of here.” 

The table quickly devolved into chatter about which park was the best one. It was ironic considering they’d never been anywhere other than the Magic Kingdom—but they unanimously decided the Animal Kingdom was the worst anyway. 

Clarke longed to ask Octavia why Bellamy hadn’t wanted to come with them today, why he and Murphy decided to go out on their own. But she didn’t want to seem weird, even if they felt like best friends, she and Octavia didn’t really know each other. Nobody could find out about her crush on Bellay, especially not now. 

“I wanna do the Nemo ride!” Jasper said, almost knocking over his syrup with excitement. 

“There aren’t really any rides at Epcot…” Octavia sighed, looking at her map. “We only have the race car and Finding Nemo.” 

“What if we went to the water park later?!” Monty asked, now equally excited as Jasper. 

Octavia chewed on her bottom lip, obviously unsure about the whole idea. Clarke could tell she didn’t want to be the bad guy, but it seemed like it was something they weren’t allowed to do. 

“Maybe we should do that another day when the boys aren’t busy?” She suggested, hoping it was the right call. 

“Yes! Let’s do that tomorrow!” Octavia agreed, relaxing imperceptibly, shooting Clarke a grateful smile. 

The idea of the water park blew over quickly, soon replaced with the Animal Kingdom safari, and watching the parade at sunset. 

Clarke still felt a pang at the idea that Bellamy was avoiding them, but she wasn’t going to let it dull her day. They had too many exciting things planned, rides to ride, crazy food to eat. She was wearing Bellamy’s baseball cap, and Harper had let her borrow a pair of overalls. 

It was going to be a good day. 

***

  
Octavia bounced up and down on the bed, waiting impatiently for Bellamy to get out of the bathroom. She was all riled up—already wearing her new purple bikini, hoping that her brother would agree to take her to the water park today. 

“Dad can you put sunscreen on my back while I wait,” she asked, holding out a bottle of Coppertone to Marcus. 

“Aren’t you getting a little ahead of yourself, kiddo? He hasn’t agreed yet,” he chuckled, shedding off his jacket so he could apply the sunscreen. 

“He’s going to agree! Who doesn’t like water parks!” 

They’d already planned everything out, which slides they were going to do first and what they were going to eat for lunch. Octavia liked that best about Clarke—she was always planning things, and she always knew exactly what to do. It was rare that Octavia got to make new friends, but she already knew that she and Clarke were going to be best friends forever. 

“My friend Clarke—she's the princess of England! And she knows how to do all these super cool braids and twists because she has to wear her hair like that every single day! So she told me today that she would do my hair in French braids! Can you believe that, dad? It’s going to look so cool, I can’t wait,” she rambled, wiggling as they cool sunscreen hit her skin. 

Marcus nodded, listening to Octavia ramble on and on about Clarke and her pretty hair and cool dresses laughing to himself through his step-daughter’s excitement. 

“How would you feel about taking O and her friends to the water park today?” He asked Bellamy, jumping on it before Octavia could. 

Bellamy gave his step-dad a pained expression, pointing to his already dressed body. But he resigned when he saw Octavia in her bathing suit dancing and jumping up and down on the bed. 

“Thanks, kiddo,” Marcus beamed, kissing the top of Bellamy’s head before he left for his meeting. 

“Gimme a minute to invite Murphy and Emori,” he said, digging through a pile of clothes on his bed for his phone. 

“Can you plu-easeeee call him from Clarke’s room? She promised to braid my hair like a princess!” 

Bellamy rubbed his temples, hoping that this wouldn’t lead him into an awkward situation where he had to deal with a middle schooler who had a crush on him. But he agreed, genuinely unable to say no to Octavia when she was this happy. 

***

  
Clarke carefully weaved Octavia’s long thick hair into a delicate braid, ensuring every single hair stayed perfectly in place. 

It was hard to concentrate with Bellamy, and Murphy sprawled out on her bed, arguing with Miller about some video game she’d never heard of. 

“That’s really cool,” Emori smiled, coming to sit beside them. 

She was pretty, with soft rounded features, dark hair that skimmed her shoulders, and fake nails with little white half-moons printed on them. To them, Emori seemed glamorous and grown up with her rust-red bikini, high cut bottoms that made her look like a supermodel and a swirling black tattoo that covered her shoulder. 

Both Octavia and Clarke were in awe of her. 

“I can do a little one for you if you want!” Clarke offered, hoping she didn’t come off as overeager. She wanted Emori to like them too, wanted a friend that was cool and older, and could teach them how to be more grown-up. 

Suddenly things like that felt very important to her. 

Emori smiled warmly, nodding in agreement and undoing her loose bun so Clarke could work on her next. 

It felt good to know something like this, to be able to teach people something that she’d always secretly resented. 

“How do you wear make-up like that?” Clarke asked, swooping her eye across her eyelid to mimic the little wing that Emori wore. 

“It’s a lot easier than it looks!” Emori explained, tilting her head so Clarke could weave small braids into the side of her hair. “I can put a little on you two for the big dinner tomorrow if you’d like. Nothing crazy we don’t want you looking like girls gone wild...but maybe some lipstick and mascara?” 

Plopping cross-legged beside them on the floor and still examining her braids in the mirror, Octavia asked, “what’s girls gone wild?” 

There was a soft thud before Bellamy yelled from the bed, “‘Mori! Stop corrupting my sister!” 

***

  
Clarke gripped the edge of her inner tube, her knees locked around Harper’s back as they cascaded down the water slide. 

It was a considerable drop, and her stomach jumped to her throat, water flying in her face as they sped toward the pool below. 

They screamed when they plummeted into the cold pool, closely followed by Jasper and Miller. 

“That was amazing!!!” Miller yelled, pumping both of his fists in the air before he and Jasper raced to climb up the slide again. 

Clarke and Harper floated to the edge, tired from hours of running up stairs and sliding in the hot sun. 

“Do you want to go in the lazy river?” Octavia asked, swimming up beside them. Her braids were slicked to the sides of her head, and her cheeks were red from the sun—but she was beaming. “I heard Monty say he wants to go down this slide at least 100 more times, and I already have a wedgie.” 

Both girls nodded in agreement, shifting over from the slide pool over to the warmer and slower, lazy river. They held hands, forming a long band of tubes as they floated gently through the water, the sun shaded by the trees hanging overhead. 

“I’ve never had friends who are girls before,” Octavia admitted, resting her head against the back of the tube. “It’s always been me and Jasper and Monty—and my brother.” 

“I like being friends with you too, it’s fun to have more people to spend time with!” Clarke agreed, squeezing Octavia’s hand. 

And it was true.   
Hanging out with Octavia was kind of what Clarke imagined having a little sister was like. She always wanted to go places and do things, and she thought everything Clarke did was cool and exciting. She was fun and full of life, and exactly the kind of friend Clarke always wanted. 

It was especially nice to have her on this trip, because it felt like Monty had a crush on Harper—and Harper didn’t exactly mind. 

As much as Clarke was happy for her, she was also a little jealous. She wished the boy she liked, liked her back too, that he wanted to walk next to her and share his ice cream. 

But Bellamy had spent all day hanging out by the snack bar with Murphy and Emori...and some beautiful girl with long dark hair. 

He didn’t seem interested in sliding down the slides or eating cheese fries with them. 

It was disappointing—but Clarke wasn’t going to let that ruin her day. In fact, for all the times she wanted to kiss Bellamy, she also kind of wanted to kick him. 

All her emotions felt jumbled up, like she suddenly didn’t know how to feel about anything. 

This wasn’t what she thought liking a boy would feel like, she expected it to be more exciting and fun, but so far, it mostly just hurt her feelings. 

***

  
“There we go. You look absolutely beautiful,” Emori said, stepping back so Clarke could examine the sparkly pink lip gloss she’d applied. 

It was subtle, but it made her lips look extra pink, and the mascara made her blue eyes look brighter. She loved how she looked. Her mom had braided her hair up in a twist before she’d left for her meeting, and together they’d picked out a fluffy pink dress with a full skirt that was perfect for twirling. 

Octavia and Harper were already dressed, with matching lipgloss and mascara. Clarke had brought a ballgown special for Harper and given it to her as a surprise this morning. They matched now—Harper’s dress a bottle green to contrast Clarke’s pink. 

“Harper taught me how to curtesy,” Octavia giggled, pulling the sides of her purple dress so she could dip down. 

“I love it!” Emori said, twirling Harper in a quick circle. “Find me downstairs, okay? We can dance together!” 

And with a final kiss on all of their cheeks, Emori disappeared in a cloud of elegant perfume, her satin dress trailing behind her. 

“Isn’t she fabulous?” Octavia asked, collapsing onto the floor. “I wish my brother was dating her. I want her to be my big sister!” 

Harper rolled her eyes, lifting Octavia back up from the carpet. 

“Does Bellamy have a girlfriend?” She asked, dusting off O’s skirt. 

“No, but he met some girl at the water park yesterday named Roma. She’s the Italian prime minister's daughter, and she’s not very nice. I think she’s his date tonight, but I hope that she trips or something and he forgets about her,” Octavia sighed, scowling at the idea of Bellamy bringing Roma into their family. 

Clarke felt like she’d been kicked in the stomach, a sharp sting of jealousy creeping up her spine. She knew it wasn’t logical and it wasn’t proper to be jealous—but she just couldn’t help herself. She wanted to throw Bellamy’s stupid hat at him, and she wished that he and Roma would have a terrible time together. 

It was mean spirited, and she knew she shouldn’t be so unkind, but she hated manners. She hated that she was young and tiny and not glamourous like Emori. 

“C'mon! We’re going to miss the cake and trumpets!” Harper urged, drawing Clarke out of her self included pity party. “And the boys are waiting for us downstairs.” 

Deciding it wasn’t worth it to ruin her night, Clarke made the executive decision to ignore Bellamy. She didn’t like him anymore—it just simply wasn’t working. Tonight was about her friends and dancing and enjoying their last day at Disney together. 

Maybe if she told herself she hated Bellamy enough times, she would start to believe it. 

In the end, she did have fun dancing with her friends and drinking sparkling cider that made her nose tingle. They took lots of pictures on Miller’s digital camera and did the YMCA with the prince of Nigeria. Lots of older ladies complimented her make-up, telling her how grown up she looked. 

Her mom even let her, Harper and Miller have a little sip of wine as a celebration. 

It was one of the most fun nights of Clarke’s life. The only part that wasn’t perfect, was Bellamy hovering in the corner of the ballroom with a girl with legs longer than Clarke's entire body. She looked like a movie star, and Bellamy kept pressing little kisses to her neck. 

But she hated him now, so it didn’t matter anyway. 

***

  
_2012_

“I had an idea,” Abby said, moving to sit on the edge of Clarke’s bed. 

Clarke leaned back against her pillows. Lately, all of her mother's good ideas seemed to center around setting Clarke up with eligible bachelors and inviting her to tea with old ladies. 

Just the other week, she’d given a piano recital to a group of Octogenarians under the guise of a luncheon. 

So whatever her mother was cooking up, it was bound to be good. 

“Don’t look at me like that. This is actually a good one. I rather think you’ll like it,” Abby said, rolling her eyes at Clarke’s unimpressed expression. 

“That’s what you always say…” 

“There’s a global leader's summit coming up—the one they have at Disney. And I was wondering if you’d like to come along for your 16th birthday? You may bring Harper and Nathan again if you would like.” 

Clarke balked, that hadn’t been what she was expecting at all. She knew she would get yelled at if she jumped up and screamed, but she could barely contain her excitement. 

That trip to Disney had brought her some of her best memories ever and given her three of her best friends. 

She couldn’t wait to tell Octavia. 

It’d been three whole years since they’d seen one another. But Clarke always kept her up to date on the ongoings of her life. And Octavia did the same. 

Sometimes they would have joint phone calls with all six of them, full of rambling and screaming and half baked stories about their lives. 

They’d gotten older, but when the six of them were together, it felt like nothing had changed. 

She’d seen Monty and Jasper during their father’s last term, during a state visit to England. They’d both grown taller, broader, suddenly more adult looking than they had a few years ago. It was the only visual reference she had to understand how much time had changed them all. 

Monty ended up taking Harper out on a secret dinner, and as far as Clarke knew—they spent every night on the phone, talking for hours about plants and imaginary camping trips. 

It was sweet, and she loved that her best friend’s 13-year-old crush had blossomed into something bigger. 

As she’d gotten older, Clarke understood why Bellamy had acted the way he did around her when they last saw each other, how awkward the whole thing must've been for him. Sure—she wished he’d been kinder about it, but she didn’t really care anymore. 

Still, she couldn’t help but wonder amid all her excitement, whether she would get to see him again. 

“Should I take your silence as a yes then?” Her mother asked, a knowing smile tilting her lips. 

“Most definitely, thank you, mother,” Clarke smiled, lunging forward to wrap her arms around her mom’s shoulders. 

***

  
Octavia, Monty, and Jasper were waiting in the lobby for them when they arrived—their entrance a gaggle of yelling and hugging and screaming and crying. It was wholly improper, and it drew more than a few stares from passerby’s, but Clarke couldn’t really bring herself to care. 

Photographers flashed pictures, and it was more than obvious these shots would end up plastered across gossip websites tomorrow with a stupid nickname the press decided to give them. 

“You look like a fucking grown-up oh my God,” Octavia exclaimed, the harshness of her accent comforting after years apart. 

Octavia looked grown up too, suddenly grown into her long limbs, her face still childlike but decidedly less so. She was taller than Clarke now, needed to bend down to be able to wrap her arms around her fully. 

“It’s so good to see you, O,” Clarke said, holding her friend close. 

Something about all this felt like coming home, there was a comfort to it, a familiarity that Clarke didn’t have with any other group of people. It was everyone she loved in one place, her two childhood best friends and the three people who’d made that trip three years ago the best week of her life. 

“Is Bell here!?” Miller asked, arm still sling around Monty’s shoulders. 

“Emori too!?” Harper added, squeezing under Miller’s arm to be closer to Monty. 

“Yeah, they’re all here. I think they’re eating dinner, but I’ll text him, and they can meet us later,” Octavia explained, snacking kisses to the side of Miller and Harper’s heads. 

Despite herself, Clarke’s stomach dipped at the mention of Bellamy. After she embarrassed herself so much last time, she was determined to ignore him, even if that proved to be harder than she expected. 

She still had his baseball cap in her room, and she wore it sometimes—usually when she went out on runs by herself. Something was comforting about it, even if it was tied to a sour memory. 

But she was excited to see Emori, a wave of fondness rushing over her as she remembered the way she’d patiently and gently applied mascara to their eyelids. She was glad that she and Murphy were still together and that she would get the chance to be friends with her now that they were older. 

“Should we hit up the Finding Nemo ride at Epcot? For old times’ sake?” Jasper asked, already dragging Clarke and Octavia toward the door. “You can settle in later. The parks await!!” 

***

They had Mickey Mouse ice cream bars for dinner, finished off with a bucket of popcorn bigger than Clarke’s torso. 

It was all so painfully nostalgic, being here with an arm around Miller and Harper’s shoulders, laughing as Jasper tried to do the worm in the middle of the sidewalk. 

Clarke paused for a moment, thinking back to when she was little and lonely and angry at the world. This was better than anything she could’ve dreamed up when she was crying about her canceled Disney trip. 

These people, this place, she loved it all more than she had words to describe. 

They paused in the French plaza, a cast member with an accordion playing a song from Beauty and the Beast. Monty carefully took Harper’s hand, spinning her in a circle before dipping her and gently swaying back and forth. 

“That is disgustingly adorable,” Miller chuckled, shifting so he could spin Clarke too. 

“They’ve liked each other since the moment they met—it was only a matter of time,” she agreed, smiling as she wrapped her arms around Miller’s torso swaying to the beat. 

Miller was practically her brother—not to mention that he definitely didn’t like girls, but it still felt lovely to be held, to be close to someone like this. 

The music was slow, a sweeping ballad about being in love and dancing in the night. 

Something about the whole thing made Clarke’s chest hurt. They were older now, and there was still magic here, but it was different now. It’s hard to perceive the passage of time when you’re standing right in front of it—but it’s always more apparent when you see people after a long time. 

“Do you mind if we cut in?” A boy asked, tapping on her shoulder at the same time his friend tapped on Miller’s. 

He was cute enough, not really the kind of guy she usually went for—but the attention felt nice. 

“I’m Finn, nice to meet you,” he said, taking her hand as he spun her. 

***

  
Bellamy tried to keep his eyes on the fireworks, steadfastly avoiding the peripheral view he had of Clarke and that Collins kids nuzzling behind him. 

She had—definitely grown up since the last time he saw her. No longer gawky and awkward, her regal features were sharper and more defined. Her hair was tamer too, falling in loose curls done her back. 

In short, she was beautiful, and it made Bellamy’s stomach turn in a way he didn’t really want to think about. 

After all, stunning or not, she was still little Clarke griffin who’d hung off his every word—one of his sister’s best friends. 

He wasn’t really allowed to be attracted to her. 

But he couldn’t help the ugly sting of jealousy at the way Collins was holding her, the way she was looking at him like she used to look at Bellamy. 

“My how the turntables…” Murphy snickered, flicking Bellamy on the back of the ear. “Who's got a crush now…” 

“Fuck off,” he said, shoving Murphy lightly, trying to keep the tips of his ears from turning red 

“There’s something odd about that kid—“ Emori added, chewing on her thumbnail. “I’ve seen him somewhere before, but I can’t figure out where.” 

The three of them leaned against the railing, watching the sky light up as a giant globe circled around the water. 

Behind them, the younger kids joked and flirted and made plans to steal beers like the three of them had the last time they were here. It all felt oddly full circle in a way Bellamy didn’t really like. 

***

  
Clarke flopped back on the bed, holding a cushion to her chest. 

“Finn kissed me, and it was magical,” she sighed, tilting her head so she could look at Octavia and Harper. 

“He’s charming,” Octavia agreed, snuggling into Clarke’s side. 

“How are things with Monty?” Clarke asked, holding out her arm so Harper could snuggle into her other side. 

They laid like that till the sun was peeking through the windows, giggling about boys and talking about their lives. 

Being at Disney was the only time Clarke really felt normal, the only time she got to do the kind of things regular kids got to do like sneak beers and kiss random boys. 

She wished she could live in this moment forever, run around with her best friends, and do whatever she wanted. 

It was like she was a different person here. She wore cut off shorts, and her long blonde hair blew loosely around her face. There was no such thing as laughing too loudly or slouching too much. 

“I wish you guys lived here. The White House kind of sucks now that Jasper and Monty don’t live there with me anymore,” Octavia sighed, clearly feeling the same way that Clarke did. 

And maybe that was part of it too—that nobody here was really normal. They were all trapped in various towers of their own. 

“We’re going to be best friends forever,” Clarke whispered, reaching out her hands to wrap around both of her friends’. 

And even though she had no way of knowing for sure, Clarke knew it was true. 

***

  
“Something about that Finn kid really rubs me the wrong way,” Bellamy said, tapping his finger on the plastic table. He was trying not to make it obvious that he was glaring at his sister's friends out of the corner of his eye. 

“You like Clarke. That’s why he rubs you the wrong way,” Murphy shrugged, not bothering to look up from his ice cream cone. “I saw you staring at her the other day. I can’t exactly blame you, she’s gorgeous.” 

“Oh my God, I don’t like Clarke...stop saying that,” he groaned, flopping down, so his face was no longer visible. 

It was a lie. 

They all knew it. 

The annoying little girl who had a crush on him had grown up to become the most beautiful girl he’d ever seen, and he couldn’t help the way his heart beat a little faster whenever she was nearby. 

But of course, she was off-limits. 

So he just had to sit back and watch her flirt with the space cadet. 

“Bellamy is obviously jealous. But there is something fishy about that kid. I just can’t put my finger on it…” Emori agreed, stealing a bite of Murphy’s ice cream. 

Sometimes Bellamy wished he could be like them, that he could’ve met the love of his life at camp in 4th grade and been attached at the hip ever since. But of course, nothing could ever be that easy for him. 

He’d never been normal—well, nobody here was actually normal. 

But he’d grown up taking care of his sister while his mom went off to work, and then suddenly he was thrust into the public eye, and Kane’s political career took off at light speed. He’d barely had time to get his feet on the group between all the changes. 

Vice President single dad was now President single dad. Bellamy still couldn’t quite wrap his head around the idea that his step-dad was President of the United States. 

“There’s nothing actually stopping you from hitting on her,” Murphy continued, gaze flicking over to where Clarke and Harper were playing chicken in the pool. “She’s not a little kid anymore.” 

“She’s my sister's best friend—one of them anyway. O doesn’t have a lot of friends, I can’t wedge myself into that,” he shrugged, resigning himself to the fact that he and Clarke were never meant to be. 

It wasn’t like he didn’t have any other options, there were thousands of girls on any given day trying to add him on Facebook or corner him outside the White House. But there was something about Clarke he couldn’t quite shake. It went beyond the physicality of it all too, she was something special, the kind of person that brought life into a room. 

He wanted to be a part of her life, wanted to get to know her better now that she was older, but he couldn’t. All he had was the sharp sting of rejection and simmering guilt over thinking about his sister’s best friend like that. 

***

Bellamy laid on his bed, staring at the ceiling, trying not to think about the end of festivities gala that he didn’t want to attend. 

His suit hung limply in the closet, a stuffy reminder of the night ahead of him. 

It was the last thing he wanted to do—especially when the only person he wanted to go with was off-limits and technically dating someone else. 

God—this was pathetic. 

It was just a crush. Clarke was just a girl—except that she wasn’t, and he knew that, and it was why he was having such a hard time getting over this. 

His phone rang, shaking him out of his thoughts. 

“I need you to come up to Clarke and Harper’s room...NOW!” Octavia said, hanging up before he had a chance to respond. 

Well, whatever was going on, it didn’t sound good. 

Picking up Murphy and Emori on the way, he ran up six flights of stairs, just in time for Octavia to pull him into the room and into a mess of screaming and crying. 

“What the fuck is going on here?” Murphy screamed, smacking his hand hard enough against the doorframe that it shocked everyone into silence. 

Finn was standing in the middle of the room, shirt crumpled, tie hanging loosely around his neck. Beside him was a tall girl with high cheekbones and long sleek dark hair, Bellamy had definitely seen her before, but he couldn’t place from where. 

And then there was Clarke—jaw clenched, tears welling in her eyes, a simmering rage etched into her delicate features. 

“Why don’t you tell them, Finn?” She said coldly, voice surprisingly steady considering her current state. “Why don’t you tell them what’s going on here.” 

Finn flinched at her tone, running a hand through his long hair. 

“I uh—well…” he stammered, gaze flicking nervously between Bellamy, Murphy, and the rest of the group. 

Miller looked borderline homicidal, every muscle in his body clenched. It was clear that Monty's hand on him wasn’t a comforting gesture, he was holding him back. 

Bellamy could see why Octavia had called him, he was glad she did. This all seemed like it was on the verge of unraveling very quickly, and the last thing they needed was a fistfight between the children of important global figures. 

In fact, from the way Clarke’s fists were clenched, it seemed like she might beat up Finn herself. 

“I’m Raven, and before tonight. I was Finn’s girlfriend. I came here to surprise him and well—color me surprised,” the other girl said voice sharp, crossing her arms across her chest. 

From there, the room devolved into complete chaos, screaming and yelling and threats of fighting. 

Things were getting out of control, and it was only a matter of time before someone’s security detail caught wind of this and came up to check on them. 

“Enough!” Bellamy yelled, not bothering to smack on the wall the way Murphy had. “I don’t give two shits if you’re the Prince of Portugal. Get the hell out of this room,” he said to Finn, raising his eyebrow pointedly as he waited. 

“You’re more than welcome to stay if you want. This isn’t really your fault,” Emori added, turning to Raven, who was now crying. 

Quietly Finn collected his things. He opened his mouth to say something to Clarke, but before he could, Bellamy snapped again. 

“If you value your well-being, you should leave sooner rather than later. The princess here is about to kick your ass, and I’m not inclined to stop her,” he continued, moving to open the door, gesturing the way out. 

With every set of eyes on him, Finn quietly left, the door slamming behind him. 

***

_2015_

On the day that the global summit kicked off at Disney World, Clarke and Harper sat in their dorm room at Cambridge, eating popcorn and watching Cinderella. 

None of them had been able to make it this year, with Octavia serving in the Peace Corps, Jasper and Monty at Dartmouth and Miller serving in the military. 

For the first time since that summit in 2009–they were all apart. 

But, when Clarke stood to refill her hot chocolate, she saw a notification. 

“Instagram: Bellamy Blake has requested to follow you.”

She couldn’t help the smile that tugged at the corners of her mouth. Despite everything, all the awkwardness that they’d endured together, something was intriguing about him. 

His page was relatively barren, mainly pictures of lattes and history textbooks and blurry photos of him with his friends. 

But at the top of his feed was a photo. It was old, from that very first summit. They were crowded around splash mountain, Clarke was wearing Bellamy’s hat and she’d very obviously crammed herself as close to him as possible while they posed. 

They all looked so young, sun-kissed and innocent, the adrenaline from the ride making their smiles a little wider than usual. 

He’d captioned it, “Strange to be in my favorite place without my favorite people. Miss you all, be well, my friends.” 

Something in her heart fluttered at that—the idea that he’d chosen a photo with her in it. She longed to message him, to find out about his life, see what he was doing, but it felt like too much. 

Instead, she settled on a comment: 

“Miss you, Blake. Ride the Haunted Mansion a few extra times for me. 💕” 

He liked it almost immediately, and her chest tightened at that too. 

***

  
It took six months before Bellamy gathered the courage to send her a message. 

Nothing crazy. Just a simple hello and a picture of a book on English history with Clarke’s name in it. 

He’d read this one before, but it felt like an excellent excuse to talk to her if there ever was one. 

PrincessClarkeGriffin: Oh my gosh, I hate seeing pictures of myself in print like that hahaha

Bellamy_FSOTUS11: There's a really unflattering picture of me in a few history textbooks if you want to get your payback…I sneezed during Kane’s inauguration photo. 

PrincessClarkeGriffin: Give me a few hours to painstakingly read through every American history book, and you’re toast 😵

They chatted back and forth, surface-level stuff, nothing too crazy. But it felt good to talk to her again, the weight of their age difference no longer mattering now that they were adults. 

He stayed up past dawn, talking with her about almost nothing. He had class the next day, and he knew he would end up regretting it, but Bellamy just couldn’t bring himself to say goodbye. 

***

  
_2017_

Clarke typed out a long text to Bellamy, trying to convey how ridiculous her French exam was to him. Sometimes she wished she could just call him, for the amount they talked, it would probably be more efficient. 

She never intended for it to happen, but he’d become a part of her life. 

He was the first person she texted in the morning and the last one to tell her goodnight. 

It was weird—how easily he fit into her life, how comfortable they were with each other. 

She’d known him for six years, but sometimes it still felt like she was getting to know him for the first time. 

They talked about everything, their classes, the annoying things their security details did. Even mundane stuff like a barista getting his coffee order wrong. It all seemed interesting when it was coming from him. 

And late at night, they would talk about their lives—the things hidden beneath the surface. She spoke about her dad, how hard it was to lose him, how her mom had never been the same, how she wasn’t allowed to remarry. 

Bellamy understood—probably better than most people did, he’d lost his mom when he was a kid. And he shared parts about that too, about what his life was like before Kane, how hard it was to adapt to living in the White House. 

Even though they never saw each other’s faces, Clarke could feel herself falling for Bellamy. 

It wasn’t like it was when she was young, things were slower this time. It crept up on her, showing in little things like the way she smiled at her phone or the way her heartbeat ticked up at the sight of notifications from him. 

But it wasn’t just a crush this time—the way she felt about Bellamy scared the shit out of her. 

***

  
_2018_

The envelope came on a rainy Tuesday, the edges wrinkled and folded. 

It was an invitation to Murphy and Emori’s wedding at Disney World. 

“Did you get one too?” Harper asked excitedly, waving the thick cardstock around in the air. 

Clarke held hers up, and they both squealed, this was better than a global summit. They were all going to be together again. 

They danced around the living room, discussing what they were going to wear and which rides they were going to go on first. 

Harper was already calling Monty, vibrating with excitement over the prospect of seeing each other again. 

Suddenly nervous, Clarke clicked a picture of her own, sending it to Bellamy. 

Before this, their...relationship...friendship...thing, had been abstract. They were separated by an ocean and two times zones, literally worlds apart. 

But now they were going to see each other, breathe the same air. 

The idea of it was thrilling and also terrifying. 

Her stomach flipping with excitement when her phone pinged with his response. 

Bellamy Blake: It’ll be great to be back again. Can’t wait to see you.

Bellamy Blake: All of you. It’s been so long. 

Clarke’s heart thudded in her chest, it wasn’t much, still framed in reference to the entire group. But she couldn’t help the way her eyes lingered on “can’t wait to see you” because truth be told, she couldn’t wait to see him either. 

***

  
Bellamy’s heart almost beat out of his chest when he realized Clarke was wearing his hat. It kind of felt like a mistake to show up at the executive airport and wait for them on the tarmac, but Octavia agreed without much issue, so it couldn’t have been that bad of an idea. 

She beamed when she saw them, almost tripping over the metal stairs on her way down. 

Harper and Miller looked equally excited, and Harper practically lunged at Monty when she saw him, knocking him back into the grass. 

It was cute, especially since Monty was definitely crying. 

Octavia lunged at Clarke first, leaving him and Murphy to hug Miller. 

Seeing everyone again was like a kick back to 2009, he couldn’t believe that somewhere along the way, they’d all grown up. 

“Hey,” she whispered, coming up beside him amid all the chaos. 

“Nice hat, princess,” he said in return, turning so he could wrap her in a full-bodied hug. 

After almost two years of texting every minute of the day, she was finally here, and her arms were around his neck, and she was so close. 

Suddenly Bellamy understood why Monty had been crying. 

He never wanted to let go, wanted this hug to last till the end of time. 

And Clarke didn’t seem to mind, tucking her face into the crook of his neck, her hand rubbing up and down his back. 

At some point, he’d lifted her off the ground, and they just stood there, holding each other. 

He knew by now that they’d probably drawn some attention, but he didn’t really care. Not right now, not when she was this close. 

Eventually, they did separate, but Clarke stayed by his side, hovering beside him like she had when she was a kid. 

This time though, he let his hand brush hers, catching their pinkies together ever so often. 

Bellamy felt like a little kid again, too, like this was his first crush on a pretty girl. Everything felt new and exciting and special. He wanted to do this right, he hoped he was reading this correctly. 

There was still a small part of him that was afraid he’d gotten this all wrong. That she only thought of him as a friend, and he was going to get his heart broken. 

But right now, with his fingers nudging Clarke’s, he was feeling cautiously hopeful. 

***

Murphy’s dad rented out the entire park for the week, giving them free rein over everything. 

For now, it was just the nine of them, a handful of bodyguards and unlimited access to anything they wanted. 

“Where to?” Octavia asked, slipping on her Mickey Mouse ears. 

“Obviously Small World,” Miller said, not even waiting for a response before he started walking toward the ride. 

For some reason, it was his favorite one. In all honesty, he probably got some sort of satisfaction that the rest of them hated it so much. 

“I cannot believe him,” Octavia groaned, grudgingly following. 

Clarke hung back, waiting long enough that she was sure that she and Bellamy could walk side by side. 

She wanted to talk to him—to really look at him and talk face to face after so long. 

But there was never a minute to be alone and as much as she wanted to spend time with Bellamy—she wanted to see all her friends. 

They’d waited for years, a few more hours wouldn’t kill them. 

At least that’s what she thought. It seemed easy enough until they were sitting side by side in a cramped cart listening to small children sing at the top of their lungs over and over again. 

She could feel every ridge of his body pressed up against hers, his arm draped over the back of the car to make more room. 

It was a perfect fit, the way they tucked into each other, the heat of his body, and the same sting of woodsy cologne he’d worn the first time they met. 

Her body burned with wanting, the urge to be closer to him suddenly overwhelmingly strong. 

“It’s a small world, after all. It’s a small world after all,” he whispered, his lips brushing the shell of her ear. 

And suddenly she couldn’t think. Clarke might as well have been thirteen years old again, impossibly nervous in front of the boy she liked. 

Ironically, it was the same boy, but this time she was pretty sure he liked her back. 

“If that song gets stuck in my head, I’ll never forgive you,” she whispered back, letting her lips brush his jawline as she spoke. 

His skin was rough, the scratch of stubble rubbing her lips as she spoke, and she loved every second of it. 

Bellamy swallowed thickly, his arm dropping from the back of the car to wrap around her shoulders. And somehow, he pulled her even closer. 

Clarke’s thoughts were so jumbled, she was ready to kiss him in this cart, during a small world, while their friends sat six inches away. But before she could throw all her dignity out the door, the cart slid back into the entrance, the bright lights yanking her back to reality. 

“I think I’m going to ride again…” Miller said, hanging back in the cart. 

Everyone else groaned, climbing out and making excuses about other things they wanted to do. Nobody wanted to subject themselves to another round of the song. 

“I want to ride Pirates of the Caribbean,” Octavia announced, grabbing Jasper’s hand and dragging him away. “Does anyone else want to come?” 

“Emori and I will hang back with Miller,” Murphy said, already settling back into the car. 

“We’ll come with!” Harper announced, pulling Monty along. 

“Yeah, us too!” Clarke agreed, taking Bellamy’s offered hand to climb out of the cart. 

As much as she wanted time alone with Bellamy, they were here to hang out with their friends too. 

***

  
It was nearing midnight by the time they rode through everything they wanted, sharing midnight Mickey pretzels as they watched the castle lights flash in front of them. 

“I’m still on Cambodia time, so I’m kind of exhausted,” Octavia admitted, slumping on a nearby bench. “And I kind of want to call Lincoln and check-in about his flight for tomorrow. Do you mind if I head back?” 

Miller nodded, agreeing that he wanted to call Jackson and do the same, with Jasper sharing similar sentiments about Maya. 

It was weird in a way, that they all had these separate lives from each other now. Jobs and school and significant others. 

Slowly one by one, they headed back to the hotel or, in the case of the other couples, broke off to go make out on a ride. 

“I guess it’s just the two of us now,” Bellamy said, shuffling his foot on the sidewalk. 

“Yeah, I guess so…” Clarke agreed, suddenly feeling very nervous and incredibly self-conscious. 

It didn’t feel like they’d been talking every day for years and like they’d been on the verge of kissing only a few hours ago. Now it was just the two of them, wandering around the Magic Kingdom, and Clarke didn’t really know what to do with herself. 

“Do you want to ride Haunted Mansion?” He asked, already guiding her toward the line. 

She still had his hat on, and the whole thing was nostalgic in a way that made his chest ache. 

Clarke nodded, lacing her fingers with his as they entered the ride. It hadn’t changed at all since they were kids, and if she tried hard enough, she could still imagine the way her nerves had thrummed at the prospect of sitting alone with Bellamy on the ride all those years ago. 

“Can I tell you a secret?” She asked, turning in the ride car so she could face him. 

“Is it that you totally wanted me to kiss you the last time we rode this ride together?” He chuckled, reaching out to run a finger down the side of her face when she blushed. 

“You knew?” 

“Not till later. You were so little. It felt safer to just ignore you for a while—but I can see how that might’ve been mean in hindsight.” 

“Yeah, I get it now. But to be honest, I totally hated you for it back then,” she chuckled, letting herself relax into his side. 

The ride was cute, not as scary as she remembered, but quirky in a way that made her laugh. 

“It wasn’t till I got older, when you and that Collins kid were running around that I realized how I felt about you.” 

Clarke’s breath caught in her throat. Was he—did he—had he liked her this entire time too? 

She’d suspected it all along, but somehow, hearing it said out loud was the confirmation she needed. 

“I knew from the moment I saw you,” she shrugged, Clarke didn’t have the energy to be self-conscious right now. Too much time had passed, they’d been through too much, she might as well be honest. 

Bellamy looked liked he wanted to say more, but once again, the ride clicked back in the entrance, drawing them out of their little world and into real life. 

***

  
They hovered outside the ride, staring out at the water of the Tom Sawyer riverboat. 

Their moment had slipped away a little bit, and Clarke desperately wanted a way to get it back. She just didn’t know how. 

“I can’t believe you kept that hat all these years,” Bellamy said, voice a little gruffer than it’d been before. 

He guided her away from the railing, walking them back toward the sidewalks. 

“I considered throwing it away when I had my ‘I hate Bellamy’ phase, but I couldn’t bring myself to part with it,” she said, playing with his fingers as they walked. “It’s the first piece of casual clothing I’d ever owned.” 

“It looks good on you.” 

A warm pool of satisfaction settled at the bottom of Clarke’s stomach. It was a small comment, barely meant anything at all, but she still preened at the implication. 

She didn’t know what to do, or what to say. It felt like they’d been dancing around each other all night, like he was so close and yet, so far away. 

They’d waited years for this, and now they were both too nervous to actually do anything about it. 

Frankly, it was kind of stupid, and if she’d learned one thing from all her princess lessons, it was that she knew better than to sit back and just wait for life to happen to her. 

Tugging on their joint hands, she pulled Bellamy to a stop in front of an area with lanterns and flowers painted on the walls. It seemed like some kind of homage to Tangled—while also acting as a restroom area. 

Not the most romantic setting, but the overhead lanterns didn’t hurt. 

“I—I,” she stammered, this was harder than she’d anticipated. The grand declaration of her true feelings was a lot less straightforward than they made it seem in the movies. 

But the way Bellamy was looking at her, face soft, brows drawn gently together, she’d never been more sure of anything in her entire life. 

Clarke loved this man. In a truly ironic turn of events, the place where she’d once followed him around like a little puppy and later ignored him in favor of a massive douche was where she would finally get to show him how she felt. 

And even though the words escaped her, her realization gave Clarke just enough courage to surge forward, cup Bellamy’s face in her hands, and kiss him. 

They’d spent the better part of two years talking—it was time to take a leap of faith and do it. 

It took him a moment, she’d obviously caught him by surprise. But he sagged into it, gathering her in his arms, pulling her so close it felt like they were trying to fuse into one person. 

He lifted her off her feet, kissing her so soundly her head was spinning.

It was absolutely perfect. 

The two of them together, in front of a Tangled themed restroom, kissing like nothing else in the world mattered. 

“I applied to law school in England,” he murmured between kisses, too caught up in the moment to pull away entirely. 

But Clarke paused at that, drawing back so she could take him in. This was serious for him too. He wanted a future with her just as much as she wanted a future with him. 

“I love you,” she said, kissing him again, funneling a lifetime of pent up feeling into it. “I always have, and I always will. Even when I hate you, I love you.” 

Bellamy pressed their foreheads together, his lips pecking hers over and over and over again. 

“I love you—and I’ll never ever stop,” he replied, still kissing her.

And in that sliver of time, in a deserted Disney Park, Clarke had never been more grateful that she wasn’t normal. If she wasn’t a princess, none of this would’ve happened, and maybe a lot of it had sucked along the way, but it brought her here, and it gave her this. And if Bellamy was normal, he wouldn’t be here either. 

Most of the time, being a princess wasn’t a fairytale, in fact, it was usually a pretty fruitless experience.

But cliche as it sounded, Princess Clarke had, in fact, found her Prince Charming, in the form of the First Son of the United States—it just took them a decade to get there first. 

**Author's Note:**

> I know, I know it's dumb af, but it was a little cute right? 
> 
> Write the fic you want to see in the world right babes!? I hope y'all liked this little indulgent piece of candy because I had an absolute blast writing this and honestly it was so fun to write something with no conflict at all haha. With the way this season has been I figured we could all use a little lighthearted nonsense. 
> 
> Much love to y'all! Please let me know if you enjoyed it, I love hearing from you, especially If you liked my little Disney throw-ins! :) Stay safe and be well my loves!
> 
> P.s 
> 
> Young Clarke and teen Bellamy were young Noah centineo and young Elle fanning to me! Where u picturing the same I’m genuinely curious.


End file.
